I'm trying to reduce how much meat I eat. One problem: meat cravings.

[Odin2005]

No matter how much I read about the horrible conditions inside feedlots and slaughterhouses it just won't break my craving for meat. Would trying those veggie-burgers and other faux-meat products work?

God, I wish they would hurry up with the meat grown in a lab thing...

[msongs]

1. don't use "substitutes" just ditch all that stuff....

get a rice cooker with a steamer tray that fits on top (like for cooking chinese buns etc). use brown rice which takes longer too cook.
fill the tray with chopped veggies you like, while the rice cooks underneath the veggies will steam at the same time, saving you electricity as well. with practice you learn when to put which veggies in at what time so they don't over cook. Voila, one pot meal that can be varied endlessly.

by the way a rice cooker can cook anything that has liquids enough. cookers shut off when liquid evaporates and the temperature shoots up so as long there is enough liquid the cooker keeps cooking

[Odin2005]

5. I have one and I do that already, thanks for the suggestion, though!

[dark forest]

34. That sounds pretty good

I'm not a vegetarian, nor do I currently plan to be, but I am looking to cut down on the meat a little bit because I have a bit too much of it around my waist right now.

It's a great idea, and I thank you for it

[yourout]

2. Getting off sugar is much harder for me. I recently joined the Type 2 club and......

walking past the chocolate easter eggs and Peeps has been most unpleasant.

[Odin2005]

6. I tend towards hypoglycemia, so I have the opposite problem.

I have to graze on carbs throughout the day otherwise I get tired and lightheaded.

[LeftyMom]

22. I do too.

Can I suggest eating more nuts? They're a good snack for hypoglycemia because they've got some fat and protein, so they digest slowly and are pretty filling. They're also great when you're working through meat cravings, because you get some fat, some protein and a little salt, and that's what your body's probably needing when it starts asking for meat.

[Cleita]

3. I used to be a vegetarian and don't eat much meat now (drs. orders).

However, some brands of meat can be traced to the source. In my area a lot of the meat and chicken is locally produced, so it's not too hard to check up if the animals are raised and killed humanely, which is an alternative to going vegetarian. I believe you can find websites with this information.

Also, I found eating bread, cooked grains and pasta help give you a full feeling as well as beans. My favorite cooked grain is grits, believe it or not. They are filling and tasty.

[Odin2005]

9. High-fiber food is very filling for, but it sometimes gives me a stomachache...

...when it hits my intestines.

The problem isn't feeling full, it's that I crave the taste and texture of meat. Oddly enough, many traditional societies in the Amazon and New Guinea have a distinct word for "meat-hunger" because game is infrequent in dense tropical forest, so it's not just me, LMAO!!!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I went on the Atkins diet a few years ago, ate a lot of meat.

I lost weight, too, for awhile, but I couldn't stay with it; anyhow, my doctor told me it was bad for me. But one side-effect of the diet is that I got really tired of meat. Ever since, I hardly ever want meat at all (except for bacon). I'll eat it if it's offered to me but I don't buy it at the grocery store and rarely order it at a restaurant unless it's in another dish like a casserole. I just don't like it much any more; it even grosses me out a bit sometimes. So if you want to stop liking meat, eat nothing else for a few months. Sure worked for me.

[man4allcats]

7. Try this...

Imagine bar-b-qued chicken smoking on the grill or sausage and some beef brisket done to perfection. Or how about a nice steak not overdone but just enough so that it's really flavorful yet not so rare that it's still bleating? Oh sorry. You're trying to quit, right?

[marybourg]

8. Try eating the meals you're used

to and like, at least at first, but halve the amount of meat and increase the starch and veggies proportionately . Also try adding an extra spice, a couple of olives or a pepperoncini so that you feel like you've had a treat . I need animal protein at each meal or I get severe hypoglycemia, and I find smaller amounts of meat satisfy just as much as larger ones used to. After a while you
may be able to halve the meat again without any craving problem.

[teddy51]

10. When you find the answer to this, please share! I have always been a meat eater, but

have had second thoughts about it! My problem certainly is, I am a hypocrite about killing animals for meat and I know this. I actually was just saying to my wife that I need to get away from meat. I sit here thinking how disgusting it is to kill animals for food, and I eat meat. At 63 years of age, I am going to give up meat, now....

[Big Blue Marble]

12. If you are serious, see my post below.

You can have both great foods and avoid meats. It gets easier all the time.

[teddy51]

13. Thank you, as of this moment I am going to swear off of meat. I am tired of being a

hypocrite. I just turned to my loved one and told her where I was going with this, and she agreed. Tired of being a hypocrite and going to change. My love for critters is incredible. We were just driving home on Sunday and I watched 2 cows cleaning one another, and that pretty much did it for me, and about 2 miles down the road it happened again. That has to be a sign!

[Big Blue Marble]

11. Yes, the meat analogues work.

I gradually reduced and then eliminated my meat consumption over twenty years ago.
At the that time, there were few meat substitutes. Now there are some that are quite
wonderful. Field roast makes amazing sausages. Gardein has both beef and chicken
analogues that are delicious. I like Boca crumbles for tacos and spaghetti.
Morning Star Farm breakfast sausage tastes like the "real" thing. I also really
like Tofurky Slices in several versions.

These subs also have the advantage of being lower in fat and calories than animal
flesh. I am a serious cook and have created wonderful vegetarian versions of
many of my favorite dishes. Pizzas, Steak Diane, Beef Stroganoff, French Onion
Soup, Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches to name a few.

As someone who really loved meat in the past and who really loves to eat, I
have found a way to truly enjoy what I eat while completely avoiding any
animal meats.

[Codeine]

17. Tofurky sandwich slices are insane.

The hickory smoked variety in particular is so meatlike it fooled my omnivore fiance.

[CrispyQ]

18. My favorite comfort meal is an open faced Tofurky sandwich

with mashed potatoes & gravy. ~slurp.

To the OP, find some flavorful veggie broths that you like. Everything you cook will taste better if you start with good broth. Either of these will make a fantastic gravy to go over the Tofurky sandwich.

This is a good no-salt cube: http://www.amazon.com/Rapunzel-Vegetable-Bouillon-2-4-Ounce-Packages/dp/B001E5DZJS

This is a paste: http://www.superiortouch.com/retail/products/better-than-bouillon/premium-bases/36/vegetable-base There's a low-sodium version & an organic version.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

14. The cravings can be managed with meat analogues.

I have had success with homemade bean patties and flavored gluten. They don't taste like meat, but they have the umami mouthfeel like meat. And field roast is really good, too, though I have not found a recipe to make my own, and I'm also trying to manage my sodium intake.

I will be glad to send you recipes if you like.

[Tunkamerica]

15. I like the Boca burgers spicy chicken and all-american burger

but i still eat meat occasionally so I don't know about cravings.

[Codeine]

16. Nothing wrong with meat analogues.

I never understood the weird negativity some vegans/vegetarians have for veggie burgers and the like -- after all, I don't HATE meat, I just don't eat it. I grew up eating hamburgers and bacon and sausages, so I enjoy having ethical equivalents as a vegan.

Boca chicken patties are amazing, btw.

[YankeyMCC]

19. Just Seconding msongs suggestion

I do use substitutes now and again after being vegetarian for over 2 years. Seitan works well in most cases.

However, they key for me (an avid carnivore all my life, even did my own smoking etc...) is making dishes that are full of flavor. I'd rather grill a mushroom cap or some eggplant for a "burger" than use a vegiburger sub.

[deucemagnet]

23. I agree with both you and msongs.

Maybe this is just something that is common to new vegetarians and vegans, but I've been eating vegetarian for about 8 months and I don't like the imitation meat products very much at all. I love marinated grilled mushroom caps, black bean burgers, and even Burger King's veggie burger, but I find the "fake meat" to be nothing more than highly processed, high-fat vegetarian junk food. Field Roast products are an exception, but even those don't quite measure up to the real thing.

Here's my suggestion to the OP: try to cut your meat consumption down to a few days a week, and on those days opt for smaller portions of high-quality grass-fed and organic meats. Like I said above, I actually enjoyed a Burger King veggie burger recently, and when I thought about it, I realized that I never really ate at BK because I wanted a tasty burger, it was because I wanted something quick and convenient. With the quick and convenient (and rather tasty!) veggie burger on the menu, I'll never eat one of their low-quality dog food burgers again.

Anyway, the point of my little anecdote is that maybe if you can wean yourself off of the crappy meat you eat out of force of habit while simultaneously spoiling yourself with smaller portions of higher-quality, responsibly-raised meat on your meat-eating days you'll have a little more success, and in my experience the meat analogues don't measure up when you're used to the real thing.

Best of luck!

[flvegan]

20. Good to hear, friend.

You're in the right place. I think it all depends on what meat you crave. If it's a burger, that's easy. If it's a steak, to be honest, you're out of luck. A lot of meat is successfully done on the faux side, but a good number have no substitute. So much of it is texture and mouth-feel, and many of the analogues have that down really well.

[nadine_mn]

26. and bacon - no good substiute for bacon

I love the Quorn faux chicken patties and nuggets very yummy.

Grain meat is supposed to be good too, although I haven't tried that yet.

[wordpix]

28. grain-made sausage is excellent

you can get it at Whole Foods and other places. There is one brand I buy that has 3 different types: spicy, regular and apple. Really very good, easy to cook (just brown it in a pan with a little oil) and you can have it for breakfast with eggs or pancakes, make a sandwich with it for lunch, and/or put it on homemade pizza, in stir fries or in pasta sauce for dinner.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the brand and I'm away from home and a nearby Whole Foods for awhile.

[nadine_mn]

30. Field Roast grain meat! We tried the smoked apple sage - it is really good

My mom had the Field Roast Celebration Roast and she loved it! We made the smoked apple sage with eggs as a brunch... super yummy.

They also make deli slices, haven't tried those yet... have some in the frig.

[ginnyinWI]

21. Umami--the fifth taste

http://www.theveganrd.com/2012/04/is-umami-a-secret-ingredient-of-vegan-activism.html

This may be related: there is another taste we experience besides sweet, sour, bitter and salty, and it is found abundantly in meat. You can find it in vegetable foods too, if you know where to look.

[Still Blue in PDX]

39. Interesting! nt

[HopeHoops]

24. They go away.

[RebelOne]

25. I have been a vegetarian for the past 15 years

and I still have meat cravings, especially when I smell something barbecuing.

[nadine_mn]

27. give yourself permission to eat meat once and awhile - doesn't mean you have to

Last edited Fri May 18, 2012, 08:11 AM - Edit history (1)

I know that sounds wrong to say in this group but hang on, let me explain. I think the all or nothing attitude when you are first starting to eliminate meat can make you feel deprived, which makes meat more craveable (you know that whole wanting what you can't have).

If you give yourself permission to have a steak for example once in awhile, then maybe it removes that pressure to go all in and you can focus on trying new things.

I was raised a vegetarian and then started to eat meat once in highschool (to rebel my mom - ha) but now I am working on going back to being a vegetarian. Its a lot easier for me because I never really liked meat. Except bacon.

I am married to a carnivore so this will be a slow transition. One thing that is also helping - we are making a commitment to eat locally raised, grass-fed, humanely raised meat. Then we noticed that is crazy expensive - makes the choice of grabbing a Boca Burger a lot easier.

I agree with the previous poster - the cravings will go away.

On edit... I just want be clear that I am not advocating eating meat, I am merely suggesting a sort of weaning off with the ultimate goal of going meatless. Almost like quitting smoking...not going cold turkey (no pun) right off the bat to give your body time to adjust and that will help with cravings.

[wordpix]

29. your idea of the expensive grass-fed meat is good on a number of fronts

First, it's better for the animal being raised. Second the cost is very expensive and I've found I eat a lot less of it, e.g a 1/2 lb. steak can last 2-3 meals/person. Third, it tastes much better (ditto free range chicken) than factory farmed and I'm sure it's healthier for you. As for the chicken, I usually cook for my elderly mother and myself, and a whole chicken can last us 5-6 meals (I usually put some of the cooked chicken in the freezer).

So you win in a lot of ways with the better meats and don't eat much of it at any one sitting.

[meti57b]

31. Try eating fish instead of meat. Fish are less sentient.

Then reduce the amount of fish that you eat.

Eat more pizza and have a beer with it. That's better than meat.

[flvegan]

32. "Fish are less sentient" Ummm...what?

When did "sentient" become a definition for idiots to play about with?

Sorry, but now you're fucking with my beliefs/religion.

[Codeine]

33. That's. . . stupid. nt

[obamanut2012]

36. Fish are less sentient?!

[ginnyinWI]

35. Meat is slightly addictive, just like sugar, chocolate, caffeine, and cheese.

To beat it you have to quit completely--usually three weeks will do it--then you won't crave it any more. You might be surprised at how little you care about eating it after that period. You might even dislike the thought of it, a little.

The only time the idea of eating meat seems good to me now is when I am hungry. Once I eat something (not meat) it goes away.

[obamanut2012]

37. Crisp the meat analogs is you eat those

Field Roast sausages, TJ's Veggie Breakfast Patties, etc. It gives much more mouth-feel of meat imo.

[Still Blue in PDX]

38. Sadly, I've been eating meat again lately.

I've been eating anything and everything and gaining weight like crazy. Every once in a while something left over in the fridge by my carnivorous family ends up in my mouth.

It's pathological, because this isn't me. I've just about reached the degree of self-loathing it will take to break out my juicer and go on a crazy raw food juice fast and purge my body, mind, and soul. That will work, right?



I was meat-free for years and one day my emotional eating took a very wrong turn.